The Ranger's Daughter
by IrishArcher
Summary: Halt, having retired from the Ranger Corps and moved in with his wife, Lady Pauline, in the castle at Redmont, is missing something, but can't place what it is. It's Pauline who realizes what he lacks: youthful company. Since he can't have an apprentice, she decides on something even better: adopting a child.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, guys! I've had this story stuck in the back of my mind for a while now, so I figured, why not write it down, see if anyone likes it? So, here goes. Tell me what you think: Love it? Hate it? Don't care? Let me know in the reviews!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice. If I did, there would be a lot more of Halt in the last book, and Alyss would still be alive.**

* * *

Halt glanced at his wife out of the corner of his eye as they walked into the Redmont ward. He couldn't believe he had let her persuade him into doing this. What was he even doing here? He hated children. They were reckless, careless, and asked way too many questions. Even when he took apprentices and waited for them to turn fifteen, they were still unbelievably irritating. He couldn't imagine what had been going through his head when he agreed to come here.

* * *

 **One week earlier...**

Pauline sighed as she watched her husband from across the room. He was getting increasingly irritable lately, getting into all sorts of trouble with the castle guards, and claiming to be bored of the lazy and frivolous castle life. She thought she knew why.

It reminded her of a time, several years before, when Will had gone missing. A time when Halt had not been himself, and several men were thrown out of windows. A time she had hoped would never repeat itself, because nobody around him had enjoyed it. And she knew what the problem was then: he missed having an apprentice, a young person that looked up to him for instruction. And now the symptoms were reappearing. All the signs were there. Halt was lonely.

Only, now that he was retired, he couldn't take on another apprentice. Will was all grown up now, and had too much to worry about to come and visit every day. How could she find a way for Halt to come in contact with a young person on a regular basis?

And then she got it. A brilliant idea. Pauline smiled.

* * *

Caroline Mathers was perched on the windowsill of the ward, staring solemnly out the window at the fig tree in the courtyard. All the other eight-year-olds were crowded around a lizard they had found on the wall. Caroline didn't see what they were so excited about—they were rather common. In fact, she'd seen three of them just yesterday.

She looked down at the sheet of parchment on her lap, then back at the fig tree. She made a careful mark with her charcoal pencil. She was almost done drawing the tree, but the leaves always gave her trouble. There were so many of them, and drawing them was tedious, but she always paid such careful attention to detail, she couldn't bare to lump them all together. She drew another leaf.

She had a book of all her other drawings, all carefully preserved and organized, on her lap. She was using it as a hard surface to rest her parchment on as she drew. She liked to draw, it was relaxing.

Suddenly, a voice cut through her solitude.

"How come you don't want to see the lizard?" asked Rebecca, a petite blonde haired girl, five months older than Caroline. Caroline shrugged and didn't look up from her drawing.

"I see them all the time. It's literally called a Common Lizard, you know."

Rebecca narrowed her eyes at her. "You don't have to be such a brat about it."

Caroline glanced up at her. Was she being a brat? "Sorry."

A couple seconds passed, and then Rebecca, as usual, spoke up again. "Why are you always drawing all the time? How come you don't play with us? Do you think you're better than us or something?"

Caroline looked up again. "I like to draw," was all she said. She tried to ignore Rebecca and return to her sketch, but Rebecca wouldn't have it.

"How come you never show us any of your drawings, huh? You always just sit there all alone. Can I see your drawings?"

Caroline turned away from her, protectively guarding her sketchbook. "No. I'd rather you didn't," she said. She never showed anyone her sketches. They were _hers_ , and nobody else needed to see them. What if someone ruined them? She worked hard on every single one, she couldn't bear the thought of someone messing up her work.

Unfortunately, Rebecca had attracted some attention from the other kids. There were five eight-year-olds in the ward, and all of them had been there for several years, except Caroline. She'd been there for nine months, and she'd stayed away from the other kids to the best of her ability. It wasn't that she didn't want friends, she was just shy. So, when Rebecca approached Caroline, the others sided with Rebecca.

Shouts of, "Yeah, let _us_ see your drawings!" and, "Show us!" resounded through the ward. Caroline clutched her book to her chest protectively, curling up against the window. She hated loud noises, crowds, and especially attention, and, right now, she was getting all three. She shook her head, "No, I don't want to."

"Oh, come on, Caroline. Give us the book!" Rebecca whined, reaching out to grab it. Caroline shrunk away, holding it even tighter to her. Rebecca huffed.

"Give it to me!" she shouted, latching onto the book and tugging with all her might. Caroline pulled back, trying to snatch it away, but she lost her balance on the window sill and fell. The book flew out of her hands, and her sketches flew everywhere. The group of eight-year-olds cheered and laughed, trying to get a good look at the drawings.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and a thunderous voice shouted, "WHAT IS GOING ON IN HERE?!"

It was Martin, the baron's secretary.

* * *

Pauline had arranged a meeting with the baron's secretary, explaining to him their hopes of adopting a child from the ward. While not unheard of, this was a rare occasion, and Martin was slightly flustered. He scheduled a visitation, where the couple could come and meet some of the children before deciding. He asked them if there were any specific requirements that came to mind.

"Not too young," was Halt's only demand, and he was quite adamant about that.

And so it happened that on the first of February, Halt and Pauline had a visit with some eight-year-olds.

Martin met them at the entrance to the ward and led them to the 8-10 house. This year, there were only five ward-mates in the house, and all of them were eight years old.

Halt wore his signature cowl, although he was not technically a ranger anymore. It suited him, and he didn't feel quite comfortable without it. He stood slightly behind Lady Pauline, and both of them followed Martin toward the room. As they neared it, they could hear shouting coming from inside.

"Give it to me!" a girl's voice shrieked, and they heard a thump, like someone falling. Martin rushed to the door, yanked it open, and bellowed, "WHAT IS GOING ON IN HERE?!"

All motion stopped.

Pauline and Halt stepped inside, and Halt took in the scene. Four children, two boys and two girls, were crowded by the window. A blonde girl in the front was holding a book. There was another girl on the ground, and papers were scattered everywhere.

Martin was fuming. "WILL SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT?" he roared. The girl on the ground flinched. The room stayed silent. Martin growled.

"You there! What's your name?" He pointed to a dark-haired boy in the back. The boy snapped to attention.

"M-Michael, sir. Michael Blake."

Martin nodded. "Alright, Michael. Tell me what happened."

Michael shuffled his feet and cast a furtive glance at the blonde with the book.

"We were just trying to look at Caroline's drawings, sir," he stammered. Martin raised his eyebrows.

"And which one of you is Caroline?" he asked, eyes roving the room. The girl on the floor raised a tentative hand.

"I am, sir," she said quietly. Martin looked down at her.

"Tell me, Caroline, did you give them permission to look at your drawings?"

"No, sir."

"ALRIGHT, THEN! EVERYBODY, APOLOGIZE TO CAROLINE, AND GET BACK TO YOUR PLAY TIME!" Martin ordered. A few mumbled "sorry"s were heard, and the children dispersed. Halt noticed the blonde girl handing the book to the girl on the floor.

Pauline put a calming hand on Martin's wrist before moving to talk with the children. Halt focused his attention on Caroline. The girl was sitting on the floor, gathering up her drawings and organizing them. One by one, she picked them up, looked at them, and carefully placed them in her book. Halt silently made his way over and knelt down beside her. Her eyes flicked up to him, then quickly looked back down. Without a word, Halt started collecting the papers from the floor around him. He snuck a few glances at the sketches themselves, and raised his eyebrows, impressed. They were incredibly detailed for an eight-year-old.

When he'd gathered all of the pictures off the floor, he set them down in front of her in a neat stack.

"Thanks," she mumbled, sorting through them. He watch her as she meticulously organized them and returned them to their proper places in her book. When she was finished, she closed the book, but didn't stand up.

"You're Ranger Halt," she stated softly, finally addressing him. "What are you doing here?"

She knew about him. Of course she did, he was famous. He hated being famous. He glanced down at her, and she finally met his eyes. She had deep brown eyes, curious, but strangely guarded. Her long brown hair fell in her face. He considered her question.

"My wife, Lady Pauline, and I are looking to adopt," he answered gruffly. She cocked her head.

"Why?"

Halt groaned inwardly. The dreaded questions were starting. He knew this was a bad idea.

"Why not?" he replied, exasperated. She seemed to think about this for a few moments, then she shrugged, and looked back down at her book.

"Most people don't," she said simply. Halt nodded, seeing her point.

"Well, I like to consider myself different from most people."

He noticed her lip twitch at that. Pauline came over.

"I think we should go," she told him quietly. Halt glanced back at Caroline, then nodded and stood up, taking his wife's hand and leading her out the door, where Martin stood, waiting.

"Did anyone stand out to you?" Martin asked when they returned to his office. Pauline shook her head and looked at her husband.

"Halt?"

He pursed his lips in thought. He couldn't stop thinking about Caroline. Something about her reminded him of himself as a child, growing up in Clonmel. She was reserved, but quietly perceptive, and certainly paid a lot of attention to detail, as shown by her artwork. He didn't quite know what to make of the guarded expression in her eyes.

"I want to know more about this Caroline kid. What's her story?"

Martin pulled out a file. "Caroline Mathers," he read. "Eight years old, from Redmont Fief. She arrived at the ward nine months ago, after her parents, Jonathan and Mary-Kate Mathers, died in a fire. No known relatives.

Her father was a blacksmith, and her mother was a seamstress. Neither had much money. Caroline was found alone on the street by Elias Jameson, a neighbor."

Halt nodded. It was a sad story, but then, the same could be said of most of the kids in the ward. They were all orphans, after all. With a glance at Pauline, he made up his mind.

"Tell her to pack her bags."


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright guys, thank you for continuing to read this story! I'm always open to suggestions if you think of somewhere you would really want this story to go, so please review! Post any thoughts you have :).**

 **Disclaimer: Okay, I know I'm posting under a username, and I'm not going to say my real name here, but I can tell you what it is definitely NOT: John Flanagan.**

* * *

Everything was in order within an hour. The official documents were signed, and Caroline had packed her few belongings and gotten ready to leave. She didn't need to say goodbye to anyone; she didn't really know her ward-mates anyway.

Caroline, for her part, didn't know what to feel. In fact, she didn't feel much of anything besides surprise. Children of the ward were rarely ever adopted. Once in the ward, you stayed in the ward until Choosing Day. She wasn't sure what to expect from her new parents either. She didn't really know anything about them besides what the stories said, and even at eight years old, she knew that things were often exaggerated. She thought of a phrase her mother used to say: "Hope for the best, and expect the worst. That way, you'll never be disappointed."

She gathered her meager belongings—a few changes of clothes, a comb, her sketchbook, charcoal pencils, parchment, a quill, and ink—in a sack that Martin had given her, and stood in the courtyard, waiting to be picked up by her new parents. She wondered if she would get to visit the horses anymore—that had always been her favorite thing to do. Six of the sketches in her book were of the horses. Her favorite was the black stallion in the second stall, with a white star on his head, and stockings on his hind legs. She always brought him dandelions when she visited.

She'd never ridden a horse, but the stablehands sometimes let her take care of the ponies when she came. She'd always dreamed of having her own horse someday, but she knew it would probably never happen. She'd heard that rangers had horses. Perhaps Ranger Halt would let her ride his.

She shook herself out of her daydream when she saw her new parents enter the courtyard. Hefting her bag over her shoulder, she looked up at them expectantly.

"Hello, dear," Lady Pauline said with a smile. "How are you doing?"

Caroline shrugged. "Okay, I guess, ma'am," she murmured nervously. Pauline flashed her a kind smile, and gently reached out to brush some hair out of her face.

"Our room is in the castle, so you won't be moving far. You'll have the same tutors as you did in the ward, is that okay?"

Caroline nodded. She liked her tutors. School was always something she was good at. Pauline smiled again, and took her hand, guiding her inside and up the stairs to their apartments. She gestured to the spare bedroom.

"This will be your room from now on. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. We'll fetch you when it's time for supper."

Caroline nodded again, and quietly entered her room, looking around as she did so. The main apartment area was sparse, yet comfortable, with a coffee table, a dining table, some chairs, and a small kitchen area. Her bedroom had the same feel. There was a bed, a desk, a chair, a bedside table, and a small wardrobe, all made from oak. She liked it, it wasn't too crowded.

Setting her stuff down next to the bed, she set about organizing. She placed her quill, ink, parchment, and charcoal pencils on the desk, set her sketchbook on the bedside table, and hung her clothes in the wardrobe, rolling up the bag and putting it in the wardrobe as well. On the inside of the door of the wardrobe she found a full length mirror. She combed her hair, observing that Lady Pauline preferred that it was not in her face. Then she made her way over to the bed and sat down. So far, things seemed to be going well. She didn't think of the grizzled ranger and his graceful wife as her parents, but they were kind to her at least, and she was comfortable. She lay down on the bed and closed her eyes, thinking about what was in store for her.

Two hours later, Pauline knocked on her door.

"Dinner's ready," she called. Caroline got up and exited her room, wandering over to the dinner table where Halt and Pauline already sat. There was a basket of rolls and a pot of soup, as well as three place settings. Halt had a steaming mug of what looked like coffee, Pauline had water, and Caroline's place setting had a glass of milk.

Caroline's heart rate sped up. Now was the time that they were going to ask her about herself. She always felt pressure during the introductory dinner. When she had first entered the ward, the first dinner was a nightmare. Everybody had wanted to talk to her, and all she'd wanted was for them to leave her alone. She ended up saying as little as possible, which probably discouraged the other children from befriending her. She hoped this one would go better.

Caroline silently took a seat at the table, and waited for her new parents to serve themselves before claiming her own portion. She bit her lip as she waited for someone to ask the first question.

It was Lady Pauline who finally did it.

"So, Caroline, how do you like your room?" she inquired, as Caroline sipped her soup. Caroline swallowed quickly and answered.

"It's perfect, thank you."

Pauline nodded, and took a bite of her own meal before continuing.

"Is there anything that you need? Any way we can make you more comfortable?"

Caroline shook her head. "No, thank you, ma'am. Everything is fine."

Pauline smiled. "That's good to hear. So, what did you like to do in the ward?"

Caroline shrugged. "I sketched mostly. And I looked after the horses."

Pauline's eyebrows raised in interest. "Really? Do you like horses?"

Caroline nodded vigorously, happy to talk about a subject she was passionate about. "I especially like the black stallion in the second stall. His name is Starfire."

"Did you take care of him?"

"No, ma'am. They only let me brush the ponies. I don't know why, he never would have hurt me," she shrugged. Pauline nodded her understanding. She was happy that Caroline was starting to open up.

After a couple moments of silence while they ate their food, Pauline spoke again.

"What is your favorite subject to learn about?"

Caroline thought about it. She liked them all, but some were certainly more fun to learn about than others.

"I like all of them, but history is my favorite," she admitted. This time Halt glanced up with interest.

"And why is that?" he asked.

She shrugged. "It's the most interesting to learn about. It's like stories."

Halt grunted in reply.

Dinner went on like this for some time, with Caroline answering their questions to the best of her ability. They mostly talked about her time in the ward, for they sensed that her parents may have been a sensitive topic. By the end of supper, Caroline felt much more comfortable, and she was relieved that it had gone so well.

* * *

When Halt returned with Pauline and Caroline, he was trying to process one tremendous thought: He had a daughter now. He was going to raise a child. That eight-year-old girl he'd met an hour ago would spend the rest of his life with him. He almost felt faint. How was he going to raise a girl? He didn't know a thing about children. The only thing he had to go off of was his sister, Caitlyn. He consoled himself with the fact that he had Pauline.

When dinner arrived (something he usually objected to, preferring to cook his own meals), Halt waited with anticipation for Pauline's inevitable questioning. He needed to get to know this girl who was his daughter, preferably without frightening her. This was his wife's area of expertise.

He knew, after years of performing interrogations, that he could find out more about the girl from her body language than from her actual answers. He spent the meal assessing her, taking interest in her demeanor, as well as her hobbies. She barely spoke above a whisper the entire meal. She had a naturally soft voice, and shy countenance. Even when she was clearly excited about a subject, thankfully a subject the Halt could relate to, her mannerisms were meek and polite, something he would not have expected from any eight-year-old. And he could not help thinking that she had several qualities of a good ranger.

She was quiet, paid close attention to detail, and was interested in horses and history, as well as being naturally curious and willing to learn. He wondered what she would be like in seven years, when she was fifteen, and if he should try to cultivate these qualities, and bring up the subject with Gilan. Madelyn was already being trained as a ranger, why not add another girl to the Corps? But he was getting ahead of himself. The girl wasn't even ten yet.

After they had eaten, and Caroline had gone to bed, Halt climb into bed with his wife. As usual, she started the conversation.

"So, what do you think?" she asked.

He glanced at her. "About what?"

Pauline rolled her eyes. "Fatherhood. Caroline."

Halt was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "I don't know."

Pauline nodded her understanding. "I guess we'll have a lot to learn," she said. "Just...hold off on the knife throwing lessons until she's a bit older, will you?" She smirked. Halt snorted, and laid his head down on the pillow. Pauline sighed.

She hoped this was a good idea.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, guys! Thank you all so much for the positive feedback! I want to thank everybody who reviewed, seeing those comments always makes my day :). I have several ideas bouncing around in my head about the where I want this story to go, but if anyone has any suggestions about things you would like to see in future chapters, feel free to leave them in the comments or PM me!**

 **Disclaimer: I am a teenaged girl who has never even been to Australia, so it would be pretty hard to mistake me for John Flanagan.**

* * *

When Caroline awoke, it took her a few moments to remember where she was. It wasn't the little bed in the corner that she'd gotten used to over the past nine months. The morning light was just streaming in through the window to her right, and she realized she had a pretty good view of the Battle School training grounds. In fact, she could hear the faint sound of their exercises down below. She wondered when breakfast would be served.

A knock on her door answered that question. She quickly jumped up and got dressed, stepping out of her bedroom and taking a seat at the table with Halt and Pauline. As she was eating her bacon and eggs, Pauline spoke up.

"How would you like to go visit the horses today, Caroline?"

Caroline immediately perked up. With a grin, she quickly finished her breakfast and washed her dishes, then rushed to her room to change into work clothes. Halt watched the excited child with a raised eyebrow. She didn't say anything, but her meaning was clear: _Let's go._

Halt grabbed his cloak, and walked with her down to the stables. Neither of them said a word until they got there. Halt still felt slightly awkward around the child, not usually one for sparking conversations, but knowing that Caroline wouldn't either. That is, of course, until they got to the stables. Halt watches as the little girl seemed to transform before his eyes.

On the way there, he'd noticed her bending down from time to time to snap a dandelion from the ground. Now, she strode straight to the second stall on the left, and held them out for the black stallion inside. _Starfire_ , Halt remembered.

Starfire gratefully munched on Caroline's gift, then nudged her as if to say, _do you have any more?_ She giggled and fondled his muzzle.

"Sorry boy, you might get spoiled. I don't think Sir Mark would appreciate that."

Starfire snorted and stamped his hoof. Caroline reached up to scratch his ears, a slightly awkward movement considering she was a good hand or two shorter than the horse's withers.

Halt watched as Ulf the Horse Master made his way over to her.

"Hello, Caroline," he rumbled. Ulf, who was half-Skandian, was double the girl's height, and more than four times her width. He might be intimidating to anyone else, but they seemed familiar with each other, friendly even. _She must've come here often_ , Halt thought to himself.

Caroline grinned up at her large friend. Ulf and the stablehands were something like big brothers to her.

"Romper could use a good grooming. So could Jasper, in fact. How much time do you have?" Ulf asked her. Caroline sent a questioning look back to where Halt was standing in the shadows. He shrugged. He had nothing better to do for the next few hours. Ulf noticed him for the first time.

"Ranger Halt," he started in surprise. Though he wasn't technically a ranger anymore, nobody was really comfortable enough to drop the title. Halt glanced at him from under the cloak, but made no move to acknowledge that he had spoken.

"You have until noon, I'd say," he said, addressing Caroline. She smiled and turned back to Ulf, who was looking confusedly between the two of them.

"Why is he—?" he started to say. Caroline glanced back at Halt.

"I got adopted," she said. Ulf's eyebrows shot up.

"Really?" he said, staring over her head at the ranger. Caroline nodded. Ulf stared at Halt for a few moments before wordlessly turning back to Caroline.

"Well then...I suppose you'll want to get started on the grooming. Romper and Jasper are in the two stalls at the back," he said, handing her a curry comb and a brush from a nearby bucket. Caroline grinned and happily strolled to the back of the stable. Ulf sent a bemused frown Halt's way, before opening a stall door and stepping inside.

* * *

Halt strolled amongst the horses of the stable, slowly making his way over to Caroline, who was picking the hooves of one of the ponies. He approached her silently, and stood there watching for a moment before clearing his throat to get her attention. She looked up.

"I trust you'll be okay if I leave for a few minutes?" he asked. She nodded, turning back to the pony. Halt strode out of the stable and toward a small paddock a couple hundred meters away.

After he had moved into the castle, Halt was left with a big question: where was he going to put Abelard? The stables were full, and he didn't have his own personal stable like he did at the cabin. He considered giving the horse to Bob to take care of, but he didn't want to be left without a horse in a pinch, and really didn't want to be separated from his old friend. Eventually he had arranged something with Ulf: There was an old, smaller shelter at the end of one of the small fields. The roof was leaky, and it hadn't been used in some time, but it didn't take long to repair, and soon, Abelard moved in.

Halt approached the paddock fence and gave a low whistle. Within seconds, the small shaggy horse had rushed to meet his owner, who greeted him fondly.

"Hey, boy. _M'as-tu manqué_?"* Halt said, pulling an apple from his cloak. Abelard whinnied and eagerly took the fruit, as Halt reached up to scratch his neck. After Abelard had eaten his fill, Halt swung open the paddock gate, and led Abelard toward the larger stable.

* * *

Caroline looked up as Halt approached. Beside him was a small horse she'd never seen before. Her eyes lit up.

"Caroline, there's someone I'd like you to meet," Halt said. "This is Abelard."

Caroline neared the horse curiously, reaching a hand out to stroke his muzzle. He was larger than a pony, but smaller than a battle horse. She wondered what kind of horse he was.

"Hello," she murmured, running her hands down his neck. Abelard whinnied in response, and her lips twitched in amusement. A thought struck her, and she turned to Halt, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"Can I...can I ride him?" she asked hesitantly. No one had ever allowed her to ride before. Halt paused for a moment and looked at her, expressionless.

"If you think that's a good idea," he finally said. He knew Pauline would kill him. He regretted it the moment it left his mouth. But it was tradition—he'd done it with Gilan, he'd done it with Will...he couldn't help himself.

Caroline stared at him suspiciously. _If you think that's a good idea?_ she thought. _What kind of an answer is that?_

"Is that a yes, or a no?" she finally asked, a nervous expression on her face. Halt, for his part, felt relieved. He shrugged.

"Neither. Or both, depending on which way you look at it. You _may_ ride him, if that's what you were asking. But you _can't,_ until I tell you something very important. As it is, follow me."

Halt led Abelard and a very confused Caroline back to Abelard's personal stable, and grabbed his tack from the wall, thanking the stars that Caroline was more patient and circumspect than either of his previous apprentices. As he tightened the saddle around Abelard's stomach, Caroline fitted the reins around the horse's head.

Although Caroline was extremely baffled by Halt's words, she knew one thing for certain: she was going to ride. Why else would they be saddling up the horse? She was overcome with excitement at the very prospect. This was the moment she'd been waiting for since nine months ago, when she'd first set foot into the stables.

Halt straightened up, and walked over to Caroline, who was waiting patiently for his instruction. He cleared his throat.

"There is something very special about ranger horses," he started. Caroline stared up at him curiously. "They are protected against theft by being trained to throw off any unfamiliar rider, unless you say the secret word. Each horse has a specific phrase that it responds to. Once you say it, the horse will always remember you."

Caroline's eyes widened. "That's smart," she breathed, looking at Abelard. Halt nodded.

"Very smart. Abelard's phrase happens to be ' _Permittez moi?_ '. It's Gallican."

"What does it mean?"

"It simply means, 'will you allow me?'. Abelard's parents were Gallican, so our trainer, Old Bob, decided it was fitting."

Caroline nodded. "Permitay moi?" she tried. Halt shrugged.

"Close enough. Now, say it to Abelard."

Caroline swallowed, then approached the horse and whispered in his ear. Abelard snorted. Caroline glanced back at Halt in askance, and he nodded, gesturing for her to climb on.

Heart pounding with excitement, Caroline put one foot in the stirrup and tried to heave herself up. She was too short to get any leverage, and fell back down. She looked hopelessly over her shoulder at Halt and bit her lip. Wordlessly, he picked her up around the waist and lifted her onto the horse.

"Thank you," she mumbled. He nodded and stepped back. Caroline took a deep breath and grabbed the reins. She gave a little kick, and Abelard started moving.

Caroline gasped in excitement as the horse started to walk. Pulling gently on the left rein, she guided the horse around in a circle and glanced at Halt. He raised an eyebrow at her, and she grinned. Then she kicked twice more, and Abelard shot off at a canter.

Halt raised his eyebrows in surprise as the girl leapt straight from a walk to a full out run. Then he shook his head. Some things never changed about children, no matter how shy they seemed.

Caroline was euphoric. She felt the wind rushing past her face and through her hair. She leaned forward in the saddle, bending close against the horse's neck as he ran. She couldn't help the laugh that escaped her as she made a sharp turn to avoid the fence of the paddock, and continued to canter. When she'd made it all the way around and back to Halt, she finally slowed to a trot, then a walk, and finally pulled to a stop. Halt gazed at her thoughtfully.

"He can go even faster, you know," he said. Caroline stared at him, wide-eyed. Then, her mouth slowly widened into a grin, and she took on an expression of pure delight. Without another word, she spurred Abelard first into a canter, and then she kicked again. Her breath left her body as he started to gallop.

Halt swung open the paddock gate, and stood aside as the girl steered the horse toward the opening, and the pair rushed passed.

Caroline's world was a blur. She'd never even imagined going this fast before in her life. Even the battle horses in the stables never went _this_ fast. She didn't even know if they could.

They sped across the open field between the paddock and the castle, and she was glad that Abelard responded quickly to the slightest tug of the reins, otherwise they would've crashed straight into the wall.

Caroline continued the slight pressure on the reins until she had turned the horse all the way around and they were charging right back toward the paddock. As they passed the main stable, Caroline noticed an overturned barrel in their path. Before she could do anything, Abelard had braced himself, and, without breaking stride, leaped over the obstacle. Carline yelped as they landed and she bounced in the saddle, unprepared for the sudden jump. The impact almost jostled her off the horse, but she managed to cling tightly to Abelard's mane.

Caroline had just enough time to regain her balance before she saw the open gate rushing up to meet them, and she tugged gently on the reins to slow down. As they slowed to a gradual finish, Caroline relaxed in the saddle, breathless and windblown. Her eyes sparkled merrily, and she let out a wheezing laugh as she slid from the horse's back and landed on weak legs. She stumbled as she hit the ground, but quickly straightened up.

Halt raised an eyebrow at her.

"Well?"

She let out a shaky breath and grinned. She couldn't stop herself from smiling.

"Wow," she said. She couldn't think of anything else to describe it.

* * *

*Did you miss me? (I don't speak French, so this may be wrong, but after extensive research, this is what I came up with.)


End file.
